Saturday Wrap-Up

Patrick, Jill, Susan, and I were in Peoria last night and all day for the 77th American Legion Oratorical Competition.

Last night in the hotel room, Susan was reading the room service menu to us.  She was reading the list of available beers when she mentioned a brew called "Michael Lob."  Gosh, I love this blonde girl.

For round one of the competition, Susan hit it out of the park with an awesome 8 minute piece on my dad's lawsuit against the HHS mandate and religious freedom as it protected by the Constitution.  And she didn't even mention once that the guy she kept referring to is her grandfather.

Waiting for results.  Lots of vets here.

For round two, she was given 5 minutes to prepare a 3 minute speech on one of 4 amendments to the Constitution.  She knew the 4 choices she had in advance.

Whether it was the total lack of sleep we all had from Jill's incessant coughing last night, or the lack of preparation on that specific amendment, either way, she went down in a ball of flames.  She referred to the wrong amendment, got completely lost, deer in the headlights, pacing, stammering.  Oh well.

iPhone pic from waaay back in the crowd.  Susan is the girl on the left.

But she still got Third Place!  And a scholarship prize!  And we didn't have to stick around for the Final Round!  Thank you, Jesus, because I was dead-dog-tired, Jill was still coughing constantly, and a snowstorm was headed our way.

I am still ridiculously proud of her.  I am still exhausted.

I didn't get any pictures of her super-cute outfit.  She wore this lace top that we found on the clearance rack at Target, a dark burgundy Worthington pencil skirt of mine that's at least 10 years old, and these new low-heeled pumps in black perfect for a 16 year-old knock-out who is 5 feet 8 inches tall with size 10 feet.

She accessorized with this bracelet from LOFT that was also on clearance. Because I bought it on President's Day, it was an additional 30% off, bringing the price under $10.  Ka-ching!

According to the staff at the Peoria Marriott and the other contestants, if there had been an award for best-dressed, she would own it right now.

I wore a pair of black Gap maternity pants that I re-styled myself from wide-leg to slim bootcut.

Much better.  Now, I only have 3 more pairs of maternity pants to re-style.

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